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SERM. joins us to do good, and not evil, all the VIII. days of our lives, is it to be thought that

he could mean that we should forget his mighty work of atonement and sacrifice, for the pardon of our sins? Certainly, when he instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, he added the duty of remembrance and commemoration, to the other duties of the pious Christian. The duty of following after good, in preference to evil, is general: it is a duty flowing from our very nature, as the creatures of God's hands; it is a duty as binding on the Heathen as the Christian ; but to do good instead of evil, for Jesus Christ's sake, is to confess him before men, not only with our lips, but by the upright course and tenor of our lives; and all the common expressions of the Gospel tend to press this home on our minds. To do evil is not simply so, in the case of a Christian, but, in the words of Scripture, for a Christian to do evil, is, “ to crucify the Son of “ God afresh, and put bim to an open shame.” “ To tread under foot the Son of God, and

a

"TO SERM.

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do despite to the spirit of grace." "deny him before men," and to side with VIII. those enemies of his holy Gospel who will not "that HE, (the Lord and Giver of all things!) should reign over them." Whereas to do good, as a Christian, is represented as the height of gratitude and loyalty to the blessed Jesus. "I count all things but "loss," says St. Paul, "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I 66 may win Christ, and be found in him; not "having my own righteousness, which is of "the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" and again, "I press toward "the mark, for the prize of the high calling

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of God, in Christ Jesus." In his second Epistle to Timothy, he reminds him that, through the Gospel, "God knoweth them "that are his," so that he would have every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity:" and he comforts him with the assurance "there is laid up

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SERM.
VIII.

a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, “ the righteous Judge, shall give in the last

day,” not to the merely good, but“ unto “ all them that love his appearing." Let us be diligent and careful then, not only to prove ourselves good men, but in all things so to manifest our love of Christ, as to prove ourselves steady and determined Christians. Let us follow none to do evil, but let us follow after Christ, who in respect was an example to us, that we should, expressly as the Scripture says,

follow his steps." Meditate frequently on the emphatic address of Paul to Timothy, which, as it contains a just summary of true Christian godliness, having a respect both to the motives conducive thereto, and the sanctions by which it is, through Christ, enforced; I shall make the conclus

; şion of my discourse,

every

“ But thou, O man of God, flee these " things, and follow after righteousness, god“ liness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”' « Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold

on

on eternal life whereunto thou art called. SERM. “ I give thee charge in the sight of God, who VIII.

quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed

a good confession ; that thou keep this Com“ mandment without spot, unrebukeable, until “ the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ : “ which in his Times he shall shew, who is

the blessed and boly Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords *.